Mobile mooring apparatus



June 30, 1931. J. A. GARCIA MOBILE MOORING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet lFiled Nov. 9, 1929 Q Q m Q Q INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

- J65: mum-mew? June 30, 1931. J. A. GARCIA MOBILE MCiORI-NG APPARATUSFiled Nbv. 9. 1929 2 Sheets-.-Shee,t 2

M .6 ME m b W m w A w particular form of such means being immaterial solong as they effectively secure the cables to reinforced parts of theship and at intervals spaced along the length of the ship, asillustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. It is essential that the two carriages bemobile in order that when an airship is moored thereto it may beconveyed from one point to another. However, in the present embodimentof my invention I have shown the two carriages as mounted on tracks, andwhich tracks are in definite relation to a hangar in order that thecarriages may be operated to move over the tracks, and thus in definitepaths to convey the airship to and from the hangar. In the presentinstance, I have shown a main track T which extends into the hangar Hand for a sufiicient distance therebeyond to permit the two carriages tobe moved to positions suitable for attachment to an airship. For thepurpose of effecting lateral adjustment of one carriage with respect tothe other in order that the two carriages may be accommodated to anyangular position an airship may occupy incident to its being moored tothe carriages, or incident to a release of the airship when taking off,a branch track T is provided. This branch track is in diverging relationto the main track T, and by means of a switch S either one carriage orthe other may be deflected from the main track to the branch track aswill be understood.

. Any conventional means may be'employed for supplying current to themotors 19, 29, and 32, and as the particular means forms no part of thepresent invention, none has been illustrated except to the extent ofshowing a third rail 35 at one side of the tracks T and T engaged by acontact arm 36 carried by the frame 15 of the carriage. It will beunderstood that the contact arm 36 serves to col lect current from therail 85, and through suitable connections such current may be conductedto the several motors.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows:

Whenmooring an airship to the carriages, it will be appreciated that,the position to which an airship may be moved above the tracks of theapparatus is dependent upon the direction and intensity of theprevailing wind. Should it be possible to maneuver the airship to aposition directly above and in parallelism with either the main track Tor the branch track T, the two carriages are moved to one track or theother, and by' connecting the cables 34 to the airship, with theturn-tables at right angles to the carriage frames either by hoistingthe cables through ropes lowered from the airship, or by constructingthe cables in sections, parts of which are permanently attached to theairship so as to be lowered for connection with those parts of thecables mounted on the reels of the winches, the cables can bemanipulated through opera tion of the winches to exercise a downwardpull sufficient to draw the airship downward into proximity to thecarriages and to a level which will permit of the airship being movedinto the hangar. Should the airship be at a slight variance to theparallel, with the cables attached to the airship, it can be moved to atrue parallel position above the carriages by circumferential adjustmentof the turn-tables to a position at right angles to the carriage frames.However, should it be only possible to position the airship at an anglewith respect to the tracks T and T, it is then neces sary to positionthe apparatus so that one carriage is on the main track while the otheris on the branch track, as illustrated in Fig. 1. The precise locationof the carriages on the tracks is of course determined by the angularposition-of the airship with respect to the tracks, as will beunderstood from a consideration of another position which an airship mayassume as illustrated in dot and dash lines in Fig. 1. Qnce thecarriages are disposed beneath the airship, the turn-tables are adjustedto occupy positions at right angles to the major axis of the airship, sothat by subsequent connection of the cables to the airship, it may bedrawn down into proximity to the carriages for conveyance into thehangar. In moving the carriages toward the hangar, that carriage on thebranch track T will ultimately move onto the main track T so as tooccupy a position in advance or at the rear of the other carriage toalign the airship with the main track so that it can be conveyedstraight into the hangar. It will be understood that incident to such anoperation, it is of course necessary to readjust the turntable 21 so asto assume positions at right angles to the main track T.

In conveying the airship from the hangar incident to a take ofi, thecarriages are moved along the main track T, and if it is desirable ornecessary to position the airship at an angle with respect to the maintrack, either one carriage or the other is switched to the branch track.A similar adjustment may be eflected by manipulation of the turn-tables21 with both carriages on the main track. Through adjustment of theturn-tables, the angular position of the airship may be increased inrespect to the main track where the two carriages are disposed,respectively, on

the main and branch tracks. In this manner, the airship may be moved toany desired or required position to facilitate an easy take oii, oncethe cables are disconnected from the airship. Although I have hereinshown and described only one'form of mobile mooring apparatus embodyingmy invention, it is to be understood that various changes andmodifications may be made herein without de arting from the spirit ofthe invention ano. the spirit and scope of the appended claim.

Iclaim: v t v In a mobile mooring apparatus for dirigibles, a wheel.carriage having a frame, an, I elongated turntable mounted for rotativemovementon said frame, Winches on the turntable and arranged in pairs"at Opposite ends v thereof, cables on thewinches, and a. pair of Vmotors on the turntable one for each' pai r of winches, each motor beingoperatively connected to the two winches for rotating the v lattersimultaneously and in either direction to wind or ulnwind the respectivecables. i

J OSE ANCI'RA GARCIA.

